1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to heat dissipation structures and heat dissipation systems and, particularly, to a heat dissipation structure and a heat dissipation system adopting the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic components such as semiconductor chips are becoming progressively smaller, while heat dissipation requirements are increasing. A thermal interface material is commonly utilized between the electronic component and a heat sink to efficiently dissipate heat generated by the electronic component.
A conventional thermal interface material is made by diffusing high heat conduction coefficiency particles in a base material. The particles can be made of graphite, boron nitride, silicon oxide, alumina, silver, or other metals. However, a heat conduction coefficiency of these thermal interface materials is now considered too low for many contemporary applications, because it cannot adequately meet the heat dissipation requirements of modern electronic components.
One thermal interface material, which conducts heat by using carbon nanotubes, has been developed. A matrix material is filled in interspaces between carbon nanotubes of a carbon nanotube array to take full advantage of the axial thermal conductive property of the carbon nanotubes. Ends of the carbon nanotubes extend out of the surface of the matrix. Example of the thermal interface material is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 7,253,442 to Huang et al. Referring to FIG. 6, the thermal interface material 40 includes a macromolecular material 32, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes 22 dispersed therein. The thermal interface material 40 has a first surface 42 and a second surface 44 opposite to the first surface 42. Ends of the carbon nanotubes 22 are exposed out of the first surface 42 and the second surface 44. The carbon nanotubes 22 are dispersed uniformly throughout the macromolecular material 32, and extend from the first surface 42 to the second surface 44. However, in use, when the carbon nanotubes 22 contact the heat sink or a heat source, the interface thermal resistance between the thermal interface material 40 and the heat sink or heat source is large because of the carbon nanotubes directly contacting the heat sink or heat source, thereby affecting the heat dissipation efficiency of the thermal interface material.
What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation structure with a low interface thermal resistance and a heat dissipation system adopting the same.